Jump to content

Welcome to Geeks to Go - Register now for FREE

Need help with your computer or device? Want to learn new tech skills? You're in the right place!
Geeks to Go is a friendly community of tech experts who can solve any problem you have. Just create a free account and post your question. Our volunteers will reply quickly and guide you through the steps. Don't let tech troubles stop you. Join Geeks to Go now and get the support you need!

How it Works Create Account
Photo

How to get Windows 7 product key?


  • Please log in to reply

#1
nesan

nesan

    Member

  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 14 posts
Hi there, my situation is slightly complicated at least to a non-geek me!
My windows 7 on my laptop is crashed now, so I am connecting my SATA to another laptop to retrieve files. While doing so can I get the Windows 7 registry as well from the SATA that contains crashed Windows 7? Please advice.
  • 0

Advertisements


#2
wannabe1

wannabe1

    Tech Staff

  • Technician
  • 16,645 posts
Hello nesan...

On most laptop computers the product key is displayed on the COA (Certificate of Authenticity) which is usually affixed to the bottom of the machine.

wannabe1
  • 0

#3
nesan

nesan

    Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 14 posts

Hello nesan...

On most laptop computers the product key is displayed on the COA (Certificate of Authenticity) which is usually affixed to the bottom of the machine.

wannabe1


thanks wannabe1. unfortunately, that sticker is worn out and I can't read anything from it now. I am wondering if I can use any registry retrieval software would work on the slaved hard disk! is that even doable?
  • 0

#4
wannabe1

wannabe1

    Tech Staff

  • Technician
  • 16,645 posts
I don't know of any software that will retrieve a product key from an unmounted registry.

What exactly happened when your machine crashed?
  • 0

#5
Macboatmaster

Macboatmaster

    7k

  • Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 7,237 posts
wannabe1

Good evening this may help
http://www.geekstogo...__fromsearch__1


nesan
which incidentally if it is the same computer, as indeed it seems to be, is the topic where rockmilk was helping you. and on the 22 Feb. recommended a system restore which if you cannot access windows after Driver Verifier is the standard first attempt at resolving the problem. HOWEVER you never replied.
  • 0

#6
nesan

nesan

    Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 14 posts

I don't know of any software that will retrieve a product key from an unmounted registry.

What exactly happened when your machine crashed?


I kept receiving blue screen, I followed the steps in this post and removed all Microsoft drivers and restarted. Ever since it is not letting me in. I have a installation CD which only gives me option to repair or re-install. I tried repair no use. I am now going to re-install it. So, I need the product key.
Any suggestions please?

My other thread on this forum is here
  • 0

#7
nesan

nesan

    Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 14 posts
is there a way to turn my drivers back on by slaving that hard disk?
  • 0

#8
Macboatmaster

Macboatmaster

    7k

  • Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 7,237 posts
Wannabe1 has gone offline at this time, can you get a cmd prompt from Repair Your computer on F8 key or from the DVD.

Preerably from the F8 with the drive in the laptop
  • 0

#9
nesan

nesan

    Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 14 posts

Wannabe1 has gone offline at this time, can you get a cmd prompt from Repair Your computer on F8 key or from the DVD.

Preerably from the F8 with the drive in the laptop

Yes, I can get the command prompt. I tried to type verifier. It opens up the dialog box. I don't know which options to choose from

PS: thanks for your help
  • 0

#10
wannabe1

wannabe1

    Tech Staff

  • Technician
  • 16,645 posts
As Macboatmaster suggested, running a system restore would be a good step. Did you try that option when you had the machine booted to the Win7 disk?

Another thing that should be tried is to run a disk check (chkdsk /r c:) from the command prompt that's available on the disk.

Both of these must be done with the drive in the laptop.
  • 0

Advertisements


#11
nesan

nesan

    Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 14 posts

As Macboatmaster suggested, running a system restore would be a good step. Did you try that option when you had the machine booted to the Win7 disk?

Another thing that should be tried is to run a disk check (chkdsk /r c:) from the command prompt that's available on the disk.

Both of these must be done with the drive in the laptop.


It's more than 10 days, and I don't recall if I did system restore or not. I will try that and also chkdsk /r c:
I am currently taking backup from the affected harddrive by slaving it to another laptop. I will do these steps tomorrow and post here. Thanks guys
  • 0

#12
wannabe1

wannabe1

    Tech Staff

  • Technician
  • 16,645 posts
When you run the chkdsk, it will be a very long operation...let it finish all 5 stages. Once completed, type exit at the prompt to quit the command session...then see if the machine will boot.

If windows starts, you can run The Magical Jelly Bean on it to retrieve the product key. Write it on your installation disk with a sharpie so you have it should you need it again.
  • 0

#13
Macboatmaster

Macboatmaster

    7k

  • Member
  • PipPipPipPipPipPipPipPip
  • 7,237 posts
I am signing off now.

All I can suggest is that if he cannot get a restore and the chkdsk etc fails and he cannot get a restore from a cmd prompt in the Recovery environment on rstrui.exe, is that he uses regedit on cmd prompt. Load the hive from the regedit and then
delete the two keys
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\VerifyDrivers
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\VerifyDriverLevel
which should stop driver verifer, as it will I think be running, the crash occuring when it was.
http://www.carrona.org/verifier.html


wannabe1
I have only just in the last few weeks gone on 7 Professional and it important for me to stress, that this loading of the hive from the temp regsitry loaded in the cmd prompt is NEW ground to me.


Goodnight
  • 0

#14
nesan

nesan

    Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 14 posts

When you run the chkdsk, it will be a very long operation...let it finish all 5 stages. Once completed, type exit at the prompt to quit the command session...then see if the machine will boot.

If windows starts, you can run The Magical Jelly Bean on it to retrieve the product key. Write it on your installation disk with a sharpie so you have it should you need it again.


I tried chkdsk via command prompt. It completes with below messages.

Windows has checked the file system and found no problem

Failed to transfer logged messages to the event log with status 50


Upon exit, it did not reboot, but I used restart option from the system recovery options dialog box. No difference.

I tried repair option from the system recovery options dialog box, below is the message I get since it cannot identify any restored system images.

Startup repair cannot repair this computer automatically


Do I still have any hopes of getting in to Windows to get product key? Please advice...
  • 0

#15
nesan

nesan

    Member

  • Topic Starter
  • Member
  • PipPip
  • 14 posts

I am signing off now.

All I can suggest is that if he cannot get a restore and the chkdsk etc fails and he cannot get a restore from a cmd prompt in the Recovery environment on rstrui.exe, is that he uses regedit on cmd prompt. Load the hive from the regedit and then
delete the two keys
[font="Georgia"][size="2"][color="#333333"] HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\VerifyDrivers
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\VerifyDriverLevel
which should stop driver verifer, as it will I think be running, the crash occuring when it was.
http://www.carrona.org/verifier.html

Hi, I looked up for the 2 keys that you mentioned. I don't see them under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management\

Do you have any suggestions for me please?
  • 0






Similar Topics

0 user(s) are reading this topic

0 members, 0 guests, 0 anonymous users

As Featured On:

Microsoft Yahoo BBC MSN PC Magazine Washington Post HP